Week 1 - Madrid, Frigilinia, Ronda
Madrid was our entry point and stayed one night at the Hotel Europa based on RS rec and Trip Board reviews. Room looked onto the Puerta de Sol with small balcony. The double-glazed windows did the trick, the staff was welcoming and the location for whirlwind, jet lag touring was fantastic including stops at the 'cookie nuns', Church of Corpus Christi, Casa de la Ville, Plaza Mayor, Basilica of St Michael to name a few highlights. We grabbed tapas at Casa Toni and pubs in the areas (just too many to keep track of) and headed for bed around 10pm.
We took the high speed Renfe train from Madrid to Malaga and rented cars for one week. Spain rail travel is a delight and I weep when I think of what we put up with Amtrak on the East Coast.
Frigilinia
We rented a villa (VRBO)with a view of Frigilana on one side and Nerja (coastal city) on the other. This was our first trip to Costa del Sol and loved Frigillana. Nerja old town does hold some charm and we shopped for groceries in the greater city but only spent about one day touring it and that was plenty.
Frigilinia, on the other hand, is a great white hill town. Ample restaurants, bars, shops, sites. It was fun to simply hang out and we did this at all hours of the day and early evening. If you are looking for late night fun, head into Nerja.
We ate at Bar Virtudes several times. Great service and really good food in a relaxed environment. Bar Vinos El Lagar has great wine and tapas and a killer view down the valley to the Med. El Boquetillo is a fun bar/restaurant with a pool tables and more killer views. We actually had the owner/chef come to the villa we rented to cook for us and it was fantastic.
There is terrific hiking all around Frigilinia heading up into the hills/small mountains around it. All Trails app has all the routes and be forewarned to bring decent shoes and plenty of water. Friends on our trip rented bikes and tooled around for a day into the hills and ended up at the Med. It's not beginner territory with plenty of descents and climbs. Plenty of bike rental places in Nerja and some in Frigilinia.
The Lost Village (El Acebuchal) is a cute little hamlet with a couple of restaurants/bar tucked into a valley about 10 minutes by car (our friends biked there as well). Rescued by a few families, I believe in the 90s or early 2000s, and is somewhat thriving. We went to Bar El Acebuchal and had breakfast with homemade bread and great cappuccino. It's worth the voyage to see it and have a bite.
Ronda - we took a day trip from Frigilinia (about 90 minutes) to the great town of Ronda. The drive once off the highway is gorgeous and gets more dramatic as you approach Ronda. The town's perch above the gorge is mesmerizing as is the bridge that spans it. The Old Town is quaint, filled with historic churches, narrow streets, gardens, shops, restaurants and breath-taking views when you least expect it. Casa Museo Don Bosco is a historic house turned into a museum and the 1.50 euro entry fee would be enough to see the house and its gardens BUT after a brief visit, you are paid back in spades with an unencumbered view of the ravine and the bridge on their patio which serves ice cold beer, wine and snacks....
Week 2 to follow....